There are four rather well-defined and recognized prior art techniques by which glass fibers can be made, these four techniques, which are mentioned at this point but discussed in more detail herebelow, being:
There are numerous variants of each of the above four processes, and some efforts in the art to combine certain of the processes. Further, there are other techniques discussed in the prior art by which prior workers have attempted to make glass fibers. However, the variants, attempted combinations, and attempted other techniques have not met with sufficient success to achieve a separate and recognizable status in the art.
The present application and the companion applications Ser. Nos. 676,755, 557,282, 353,983 and 353,984, above referred to are all concerned with a new, fifth technique which is unique in principle and practice, and which brings about unique results, and therefore is the starting point of a new art. Since the inventions of both the present and the companion applications are closely related, a full disclosure of the common subject matter of the present application and of the prior applications is included in the present application. Moreover, in the description of various embodiments of the common subject matter, unless otherwise indicated by statement or context, the references to "the invention" are not to be understood as limited to inventive subject matter of either the present application alone or of either of the companion applications alone.
Because the subject matter concerns a new technique, and also because a diligent search has failed to reveal any suitable existing English word which aptly applies to the new technique disclosed, we have coined the word "torate", a verb, and the word "toration", a noun, to refer to our new technique and product. The usage of these new words in the present specification will illuminate their meanings, but for present purposes it is pointed out that, by our new technique, glass can be "torated" into fibers, the jet and blast which cooperate to effect fiberization can be referred to as the "torating" current or blast, the fibers which result can be said to have been "torated", or to be "torated" fibers, and the process involved can be referred to as "toration".